COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod mentioned Thursday that he expects Denmark to join the European Union’s widespread defense on July 1.
In a referendum on Wednesday, two-third of voters determined to abandon a 30-year-old waiver that saved the Scandinavian EU nation out. With 100% of the votes counted, 66.9% voted in favor of abandoning the 30-year opt-out and 33.1% towards.
The transfer is the newest instance of a rustic in Europe looking for nearer defense hyperlinks with allies after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The referendum follows historic bids by fellow Nordic nations Sweden and Finland to join NATO.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:
— Photo Gallery: 100 days of extraordinary photos from Ukraine
— US, Germany agree to provide Ukraine superior weapons
— Ukraine’s quest to qualify for the World Cup surges on throughout conflict
— Ukrainian stabs Ukrainian at New York bar, pondering he’s Russian
Follow AP’s protection of the conflict in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
LONDON — Britain says it should ship refined medium-range rocket techniques to Ukraine, in a transfer coordinated with the United States.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace says the U.Ok. will ship an unspecified variety of M270 launchers, which might ship precision-guided rockets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles).
Britain says the choice has been coordinated intently with a U.S. determination to ship Ukraine High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. The two missile techniques are related, although the American one has wheels whereas the British one — additionally U.S.-built — runs on tracks.
Britain says Ukrainian troops will probably be educated within the U.Ok. to use the gear.
Ukraine has implored its Western allies to ship longer-range missiles to assist it counter Russian artillery assaults within the jap Donbas area, the main target of Moscow’s offensive.
The U.S. mentioned Ukraine has promised not to launch the weapons into Russia. But Russia accused Washington of “pouring fuel on the fire” of the battle.
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s emergency officers mentioned Russian shelling in a single day set a college within the metropolis of Kharkiv on hearth and {that a} girl died within the blaze.
Another man sustained accidents, Ukrainian officers mentioned Thursday. Fires from the shelling additionally occurred in different areas of the Kharkiv area.
Russian forces in a single day additionally shelled the Dnipropetrovsk area, its governor, Valentyn Reznichenko, mentioned on Telegram. He mentioned the shelling befell on the border with the Kherson area, a lot of which is beneath Moscow’s management.
In the Sumy area that borders Russia, three individuals have been wounded on account of in a single day missile strikes, governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyi mentioned.
In the east, in accordance to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russian troops continued storming the important thing metropolis of Sievierodonetsk. Moscow’s forces additionally stormed the city of Komyshuvakha within the southeastern Zaporizhzhia area, giant components of that are beneath Russian management, the General Staff’s morning replace mentioned.
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia has signed a deal to ship eight Slovak-made Zuzana howitzers to Ukraine.
The Slovak Defense Ministry introduced the deal between the state-run Konstrukta Defense firm and the Ukrainian facet on Thursday.
Unlike earlier arms provides from Slovakia to Ukraine, it is a business deal. Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad says it’s price greater than 40 million euros ($43 million).
Among different arms, Slovakia beforehand donated a Soviet-era S-300 air defense system on the request of the Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
LVIV, Ukraine — A Russian missile hit rail strains within the western Lviv area, a key conduit for provides of Western weapons and different provides, officers mentioned.
Lviv area Gov. Maksym Kozytskyy mentioned 5 individuals have been wounded within the strike, including that extra data could be out there Thursday.
Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the nation’s inside minister, mentioned the Russians hit the Beskidy railway tunnel within the Carpathian Mountains in an obvious effort to minimize a key railway hyperlink and disrupt shipments of weapons and gasoline.
However, the top of Ukrainian railways mentioned the harm to the railroad was nonetheless being assessed however the tunnel was spared.
The strike reportedly delayed three passenger trains, however all later resumed their journeys.
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned Wednesday that 200,000 kids are among the many Ukrainians who’ve been forcefully taken to Russia and dispersed throughout the huge nation. They embody kids from orphanages, kids taken with their mother and father and people separated from their households.
“The purpose of this criminal policy is not just to steal people but to make those who are deported forget about Ukraine and unable to return,” Zelenskyy mentioned in his nightly video deal with to the nation on Wednesday, which was International Children’s Day.
Zelenskyy mentioned Ukraine would punish these accountable however first it will present Russia on the battlefield that “Ukraine cannot be conquered, that our people will not surrender and our children will not become the property of the occupiers.”
Zelenskyy mentioned 243 kids have been killed to date within the conflict, 446 have been wounded and 139 are lacking, including that it may very well be extra as his authorities doesn’t have a full image of the state of affairs in areas occupied by Russian troops.
He then described the deaths of 11 kids, calling them by their first names and saying how they have been killed.